tres-b

A reporter supplied the questions... RUMSFELD SET UP; REPORTER PLANTED QUESTIONS WITH SOLIDER Thu Dec 09 2004 11:49:38 ET Chattanooga Times Free Press reporter Edward Lee Pitts is embedded with the 278th Regimental Combat Team, now in Kuwait preparing to enter Iraq, and is filing articles for his newspaper. Pitts claims in a purported email that he coached soldiers to ask Defense Secretary Rumsfeld questions! When reached Thursday morning, various Chattanooga Times Free Press staffers offered 'no comment' on the development. From: EDWARD LEE PITTS, MILITARY AFFAIRS Sent: Wednesday, December 8, 2004 4:44 PM To: Staffers Subject: RE: Way to go I just had one of my best days as a journalist today. As luck would have it, our journey North was delayed just long enough see I could attend a visit today here by Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. I was told yesterday that only soldiers could ask questions so I brought two of them along with me as my escorts. Before hand we worked on questions to ask Rumsfeld about the appalling lack of armor their vehicles going into combat have. While waiting for the VIP, I went and found the Sgt. in charge of the microphone for the question and answer session and made sure he knew to get my guys out of the crowd. So during the Q&A session, one of my guys was the second person called on. When he asked Rumsfeld why after two years here soldiers are still having to dig through trash bins to find rusted scrap metal and cracked ballistic windows for their Humvees, the place erupted in cheers so loud that Rumsfeld had to ask the guy to repeat his question. Then Rumsfeld answered something about it being "not a lack of desire or money but a logistics/physics problem." He said he recently saw about 8 of the special up-armored Humvees guarding Washington, DC, and he promised that they would no longer be used for that and that he would send them over here. Then he asked a three star general standing behind him, the commander of all ground forces here, to also answer the question. The general said it was a problem he is working on. The great part was that after the event was over the throng of national media following Rumsfeld- The New York Times, AP, all the major networks -- swarmed to the two soldiers I brought from the unit I am embedded with. Out of the 1,000 or so troops at the event there were only a handful of guys from my unit b/c the rest were too busy prepping for our trip north. The national media asked if they were the guys with the armor problem and then stuck cameras in their faces. The NY Times reporter asked me to email him the stories I had already done on it, but I said he could search for them himself on the Internet and he better not steal any of my lines. I have been trying to get this story out for weeks- as soon as I foud out I would be on an unarmored truck- and my paper published two stories on it. But it felt good to hand it off to the national press. I believe lives are at stake with so many soldiers going across the border riding with scrap metal as protection. It may be to late for the unit I am with, but hopefully not for those who come after. The press officer in charge of my regiment, the 278th, came up to me afterwords and asked if my story would be positive. I replied that I would write the truth. Then I pointed at the horde of national media pointing cameras and mics at the 278th guys and said he had bigger problems on his hands than the Chattanooga Times Free Press. This is what this job is all about - people need to know. The solider who asked the question said he felt good b/c he took his complaints to the top. When he got back to his unit most of the guys patted him on the back but a few of the officers were upset b/c they thought it would make them look bad. From what I understand this is all over the news back home. Thanks, Lee

769..this is classic.

Have you ever driven one? The last generation M5 was off the charts. I can only imagine it w/ 500+hp and SMG transmission.

Losing Coach Spurrier is irrelavant as is a 12-0 season. There is a bigger picture. Im not worried about the sucess or failure of Meyer or even losing Coach Spurrier(although this hurts). I am talking about the way it all was handled. So our president doesnt want Coach Spurrier(a fact he aired out many times in the days following the Zooker's dismissal) and says he will interview him but Meyer isnt subjected to any sort of process. That is a joke. I dont care what we are ranked next year. That isnt important. What is important is we had no process for hiring a coach again, just like the last time when we ended up with Zook. This is unacceptable. Had we interviewed Petrino, Tetford, etc. and hired Meyer I would still be pissed b/c I dont think Meyers offense is worth a sh-t but at least UF would have taken a look at several candidates and not just Machen's boy from Utah. Do you understand my issues with the hiring? It isnt just about who, although I dont like that either. It is about how. Just like it was when we did our crapshoot coaching search 3 years ago.

If Cal had gotten the slot UTex would have a case that they got screwed. Having said that, OU dominated UTex but Cal had a shot to beat USC w/ seconds left in the fourth. Based on this, I think Cal deserved the spot. Besides, how does your ranking rise when everyone in front of you wins and you dont even suit up? I hope Pitt waxes the Utes so the UF hire of Meyer looks even worse than it already looks. Auburn got screwed by pre-season rankings but the BCS system fails every year so what is the surprise?

Actually, had UF offered the job to Coach Spurrier immediately, he would have been UF's coach again so your assumption that he wasnt coming back is incorrect. This has been conveyed to me from several friends who were close to the situation. As a UF alum, it is very disheartening to know that we could have had one of the best college coaches on our sideline but Machen wanted his boy from Utah. This is as much an indictment on the "process" as the hiring of Meyer. UF didnt interview several qualified candidates who have far better resumes than Meyer. Why? Because Machen knows what is best for our school after working there a few semesters? Is this how a premier program stays on top? The answer is no. Whether Meyer has sucess is not important. How we go about hiring coaches is important.

Here my issue w/ UF hiring Meyer... When Coach Spurrier was in the mix, he was told he could be part of the interview process. When Steve Spurrier is available, you offer him the job. There is no need to interview. Unfortunately, South Carolina understood that and we lost out. Then it was time for the "process". That "process" involved Machen(UF President) offering his boy Meyer a $2million a year deal. So Coach Spurrier has to interview but a coach who has won at Bowling Green and in the Mtn West doesnt need to interview? WTF???? So if Billy D ends up moving on, should I plan on Machen hiring Utah's basketball coach as well? This wouldnt be bad if Majerus was still around but that isnt the case.

Let me pick up where Phillipo left off. For O-town, that lame ass format should work well. After seeing that, I predict big things for a terrible club in a bad music town. Paris Hilton sucks on a lot of different things. The music format of Club Paris sucks. The fact that Nicole Richie's ex/currnet b/f is resident sucks. Otown is the boy band capital of the world.

and UF never should have hired Meyer.

and nothing was on the Discovery Channel. It is possible that the place will be a good club. But is it probable?

No, a Kerry win would not have killed his career. Did a a Bush win kill Rush? Enough said.

Im a huge fan of the Whitelaw. Ive stayed at the Chesterfield as well but the Whitelaw won me over last time we stayed. www.whitelawhotel.com

Are you a promoter for Club Paris? This place is going to be total cheese.

The club is such a joke. Those prices are a bigger joke. But the biggest joke of all is Paris and her pop career.

Nice job. Congrats!

If she is a despicable mess, I would love to hear how you describe that fat lying slob Moore.

Happy Thanksgiving! Take care of yourselves this weekend and get ready for the last stretch of 2004.

Yes. The Excedrin eases the pain plus each pill has 65mg of caffeine. Combine that caffeine w/ the Red Bull and you get a nice kick up that helps you fight out of the headache. It is the only way to fly.

2 Excedrin for Migraines + 1 Red Bull=Headache Relief!!!!

Historically, ME leaders have given support to terrorists-financially, weapons, shelter, etc.. This new attitude is just that, an attitude. I really hope that this attitude becomes action.

Actually, the President of UF pissed Coach Spurrier off so he walked. That, and the membership to Augusta National that he got for taking the job at USC. Urban Meyer is going to be the next Gator coach. We are fucked.

I dont consider you to be a propaganda spewing idiot. But there are some on here who just hate everything about our country except living here. So funny to me...

The article is concise, well written and lays out the problems/issues/roadblocks to freedom in the Arab world. The ruling class blames everything on us and keep their people starving and mad at the US. Terrorism is supported by the leaders b/c the terrorist stir up insurgency against the US not the leaders. It is a vicious circle.

Mursa, unlike many liberal propaganda spewing idiots on these boards, understands how good we have it. While his overall beliefs may not synch up w/ yours, his core beliefs are pretty solid.

I just got this off Drudge myself. This is long overdue.